[NTLUG:Discuss] Tablet computer: progress report

[Lance Simmons]

A few months ago I posted a note asking for advice about tablet
computers. I wanted something to read text on, and pda's are too small
(I can only get about 100 words at a time to display on my pda, and
that's with small, ugly print).  Here's an update on my personal quest
for a cheap, versatile ebook reader:

I ended up buying an old Fujitsu Stylistic 2300.  It's slow (233mhz,
60mb memory), but it has a capacious 4 gig hard drive and a nice large
display.  (It also has a microphone, speakers, and IR port, but I won't
be using any of those.)  The screen is 7 in x 5 in, and supports
800x600.  With the X display rotated 90' to the right, I have a screen
that is the size and orientation of a real page, in a package that's
about the size of a real book:  11 in x 7 in x 2 in.

It has usb and multiple pmcia slots, so ethernet access is easy, and
there's a small keyboard.  I intend to use it without the keyboard most
of the time.  The main problem I've faced with this project is how to
use the computer when the keyboard is disconnected and the only input
device available is the stylus (there's a x11 module available on the
web for the stylus).

I looked at many options (ebook software, pdf readers, graphical window
managers that support mouse gestures), a couple of which turned out to
be dead ends.  For now, I've decided to use mozilla-firebird with mouse
gestures (apt-get install mozilla-firebird mozilla-mozgest).  I can open
files easily, and to Page Down all I have to do is stroke the pen down
anywhere on the screen.  (Or stroke up to Page Up.) It took me awhile to
figure out how to write a mouse gesture that would scroll all the way
down the page -- the default mouse gesture scrolls down only 200px.  I
use ratpoison for the window manager, so as to free up every single last
pixel for mozilla-firebird.  In fullscreen mode, the entire display is
given over to showing text, with a small scrollbar off to the right.

Now I finally have a book-sized text reader.  It easily displays 450
words in standard 12 pt. fonts. (Much easier to read than the blocky,
small fonts on my pda.)  The Stylistic 2300 turned out to be suitable
for my purposes.

pda's still have one advantage: they usually have buttons built into
them that can be used to interact with the machine.  My pda, for
example, has an up button and a down button.  The Stylistic 2300 has no
such buttons (which makes sense, I guess, because it's a general purpose
computer), so when I read I need to use the stylus.  It would be nice to
find a tablet computer with buttons, but given my budget constraints
(~$150 for everything) I think I did about as well as could be hoped
for.

-- 
Lance Simmons
I have a hobby.  I have the world's largest collection of sea shells.  I keep
it scattered on beaches all over the world.  Maybe you've seen some of it.
		-- Steven Wright